Chaste Kiss (34 page)

She gazed into his deep azure eyes, no longer afraid, no longer alone. “I love you."

"And I love you.” He kissed her then slid out off the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"Not far.” He stood and removed his pants.

Her eyes roamed hungrily over his body. Pulling back the covers, she motioned for him to slip inside. He climbed in next to her and began touching and teasing her once again, but this time she refused to go alone.

William was ready to explode. He'd never wanted anything the way he wanted to bury himself to the hilt inside her sweltering heat, claiming her as his own. Unable to bear the torment any longer, he reached for the cellophane packet he'd place on the nightstand earlier.

Isabel took the package from his fumbling fingers. “Let me."

He gnashed his teeth as she slowly rolled the sheath over him. A fleeting sense of relief rippled through his body that she had overcome her nervousness. It had been sheer agony to bring her to her peak without losing control.

Hearing her soft moans and murmured pleas nearly drove him insane, but he needed to move slowly. He would never forgive himself if he frightened her. Remembering the feel of her exploding in his arms and the look of sheer pleasure on her face pushed him close to the edge once again.

Her erotic task complete, he rolled her over, and settled between her legs. Levering himself above her on his elbows, he studied her dazed, passion filled eyes. He clenched his jaw as the tip of his shaft brushed against her slick heat. He had to hold back for her sake.

Moaning, she took him in her hand and guided him. Slowly, he slipped inside heaven. Sweat beading across his brow, he held still. She was so tight, so perfect. Gathering his fading strength, he made the moment last. Afraid he would hurt her, or frighten her with the feverish passion blazing inside him.

Her hips lifted then lowered.

"Isabel,” he groaned. “I can't—hold back—if you do that. Just give me—a minute."

"I don't want you to hold back.” She moaned low and deep, increasing the subtle rocking of her hips. “Not now. Not ever."

Hoping, praying she knew what she was saying, what she was doing, he let go of the tenuous hold he had on his desire and joined in her exquisite rhythm.

Clutching his shoulders, she matched his every thrust with her own, drawing him closer and closer to the edge. He held on until the pulsating spasms of her supple walls gripped his soul and cast him into a new realm. A new world. A world unlike any he had ever known. With a fierce kiss, he drank in her climactic cries while silencing his own shouts of pleasure.

Moments later, their pounding hearts slowing, he rolled to his side taking his sweet Isabel with him. He'd experienced a great many things in four hundred years, and believed there was nothing new left for him to discover, but he was wrong.

With her hair splayed out across his chest, her warm unsteady breath teasing his skin, William was amazed and renewed by the wonder of life. Out of all the women he'd known in the past, all the women he'd known in the present, it was never like this. It had never been such pure bliss, such absolute ecstasy. This was how it was supposed to be between a man and a woman. A husband and his wife.

Wife
.

Frantically, he searched back through the last few hours, examining every discussion, remembering every word.
Good Lord. What must she think?

With a thick voice, he said, “I failed to ask you something, love."

"Mmm?"

"I failed to ask you to be my wife."

She lifted her head and rested her chin on his broad chest grinning. “No, you haven't asked."

"Will you marry me, Isabel?” His heart pounded. He knew she could feel it. Even though he believed she'd say yes, there was still that fleeting sense of doubt.

"Hmm, I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I mean, what have you possibly got to offer?” She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips. “Let's see. You're a lord so I'd be a lady. Hmm, not too sure I like that. All that pomp and circumstance,” she said scrunching up her adorable face.

"Then there's that drafty old castle you told me about. And my home would be in England. I'm not sure I'd care for that, either. I hear it rains a lot there. I'm not very fond of rain. Let's see, then there's an ex-fiancé floating around out there. Definitely a minus.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “All in all, my lord, I really don't know if marrying you is within my best interests."

He laughed deep and long. “You, sweet Isabel, are the brightest spot in my life. I pray to God, I never lose you.” He took her face in his hands. “Marry me and make me whole. You know I love you more than life itself."

"And I love you. Of course, I'll marry you."

William clutched her to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her. To feel so happy must surely be a sin.

She twirled a tuft of his chest hair, and said, “I only hope you have more of those cute little packets."

He chuckled. “I take it this means you're no longer nervous."

"Not in the least.” She slid her hands down his torso.

William's stomach muscles clenched as she roamed lower. Incredible. He wanted her again already. “If you don't stop doing that, you're going to find out first hand just how many more of those
cute little packets
I have."

"I always was a gambling woman at heart."

He rolled her over and kissed her. It was time to make love slowly and sweetly. To worship her, explore her, and learn every nuance that was Isabel. The entire lesson was going to take a very long time.

A lifetime.

Chapter Nineteen

The morning sun cut across Isabel's face, waking her from a delicious dream. Grimacing at the shaft of light, she gingerly opened her eyes and found William sitting in a chair, watching her. She smiled for a moment before doubt settled in around her. Wearing only a towel around his waist with his wet hair combed back, he looked so alive, and yet she couldn't help but wonder if it had all been a dream.

"You've no idea how often I sat in this very chair and watched you sleep,” he said. “Knowing I could never touch you. That someday you would find someone else, and I'd be left with a few sweet memories to take into eternity with me."

Find someone else? How could he think that? Didn't he know she could never love anyone but him? Didn't he realize he was like the very air to her?

Isabel smiled. There were ways she could show him. Ways she was just discovering. “And while I slept, I always dreamed of you."

He rose from the chair and lifted a stem of cherry blossoms from a small vase sitting on a tray loaded with food. Constance must have brought them their breakfast. He came to the side of the bed and sat down beside her. She instantly felt the heat of his body. He was real, very real, and the tender ache between her thighs was not her imagination.

Lifting the flowers, he brushed them across her cheek. Memories of a walk in the garden and a sprig of azalea blossoms came to mind. She lifted her fingers to touch him, but stopped inches from his lips. The same old fear reared its ugly head. Would he disappear forever?

William leaned forward and gently kissed the tips of her fingers. “I'm real, love."

"Then it wasn't all a dream.” She ran her fingers against the stubble covering his jaw.

"No, it is a dream. A dream come true."

She let her fingers continue their journey across his face, taking in every crease, every wrinkle.

"Am I much different?” he asked.

"Not really. I guess tangible is a better word.” She slid her fingers into the damp hair above his ear.

He grinned sheepishly. “I'm sorry it's so short."

"I admit, I liked the rakish look your pony tail gave you, but something tells me you can look pretty rakish without it."

"Perhaps I'll let it grow. I'd like to let you play out your fantasy of undoing the tie,” he said, waggling his dark brows.

Isabel giggled. “How did you know about that? I certainly didn't tell you.” Her smile softened. “I didn't want to talk about the things we couldn't do. It hurt too much."

"Neither did I. I know about your fantasies, however, because you talk in your sleep."

Her eyes widened and he chuckled.

"You have quite an imagination, love. And I plan on bringing about every one of your fantasies. But you'll have to endure a few of mine."

"Oh, really? Well, I suppose I'll just have to bear it,” she replied teasingly.

"Somehow, I don't think you'll mind.” He stroked her cheek with the blossoms, trailing them across her lips. “I was beginning to think you were going to sleep the day away."

"I didn't exactly get a great deal of sleep last night."

"Constance left us some breakfast. Are you hungry?"

She didn't try to hide her grin. “
Very
."

"That didn't sound like a request for food,” he said.

"It wasn't."

William's eyes darkened as he guided the petals along the edge of her neck, across the top of her shoulder then over the swell of her breasts. Lowering his head, he replaced the flowers with his lips.

"Mmm, as much as I enjoy the taste of you, I think we both need something more substantial,” he said.

"How can you possibly think about food at a time like this?"

He chuckled, sending a wave of heat straight to her center with the brush of his breath against her skin.

Nuzzling and nipping as he moved up her body, he said, “I happen to know a certain woman who was rather adamant about feeding me last night."

"And who might that be?"

"Oh, I don't know. Some silly little chit I used to know. No one special.” He kissed her quickly on the tip of her nose.

Isabel lunged, snagged him by the shoulders, and flipped him—all too easily—onto his back. His towel conveniently disappeared. Sitting astride his waist, she reveled in the way his gaze roamed over her naked body.

"Are you certain you're hungry, my lord?” she asked, running her fingers through the dark curls on his chest.

His hands skimmed her thighs, stopping at her hips. “You've no idea."

With a gentle pressure, William shifted her body back and forth, stimulating her already sensitive sex. Throwing her head back, she lost herself in the feel of him sliding against her, guiding her to the edge until she couldn't stand it any longer. Lifting up on her knees, she slipped him inside one delicious centimeter at a time.

"God, Isabel.” He pulled her down fast and hard as he thrust upwards.

She cried out with a sudden burst of release, her body engulfed in flames. Madness. Pure madness. She shook her head frantically at the barrage of sensations. Then with a deep explosive roar, he joined her in the heat of her insanity.

Spent and exhausted, Isabel collapsed against him, their bodies sated and moist. “You don't suppose the entire house heard me, do you?"

Chuckling roughly, he said, “If they didn't hear you, they certainly heard me.” He twirled a curl of her hair around his finger. “You tend to make me lose control."

Lifting her head, she grinned. “I take it that's a good thing?"

"Better than good. There's no word for what you do to me."

"Mmm.” She kissed his chest and pressed her cheek against him. “Ditto."

He laughed hard enough that her head bounced. “Ditto? Now there's a tender phrase.” He flipped her to her back and kissed her. “You are a treasure, Isabel."

She studied his face. Such a handsome face. “Have you any idea how much I love you?"

"Enough to run off with me and get married today?"

She slapped him on the shoulder. “What? And not let Constance have a field day with decorating and organizing? Not to mention, Debi would search me out and have me shot for not having her as my maid of honor."

With an exaggerated sigh, he dropped his forehead to her breast. “Such demanding people. We should forget all about them and think of no one but ourselves."

Happier than she ever thought possible, she ran her fingers through his hair while he nipped at the side of her breast. But as wonderfully distracting as he was, her mind drifted.

"William, where are we going to live?"

"Where do you want to live?” he asked, while licking and kissing his way to her other breast.

"You know how much I love it here. Would it be terribly hard if we stayed? We could find a house, and I could keep my shop."

He lifted his head and ran the tip of his finger along her jaw. “I'll not take you away from something I know you love. But I do have certain responsibilities at home. Why don't we try and split our time between the two? Part of our time here and part of our time there."

"But the shop—I can't just close up and walk away for months at a time."

"You've got Debi. Maybe she could take on more responsibility. You said she was a natural."

"I suppose.” She chewed at her lip, her thoughts running to other things, her gaze focused on the canapé.

"God, woman, you know what that does to me."

She looked back at him, wondering how she could have ever been so lucky. “What does what do to you?"

He took her lip into his mouth and suckled. “Stop thinking so hard."

"Thinking? Was I thinking? Somehow I can't seem to remember,” she said breathlessly.

"As much as I know I'll regret this, we were talking about your shop and Debi."

"Shop. Right. I just can't seem to think when you kiss me."

He grinned as he stroked her lips with his. “I'll have to tuck that piece of information in a safe place. It might come in handy."

"I have my own ammunition, you know."

"I love your ammunition.” They shared a long heated kiss.

William pulled back with a groan. “Trying to have a conversation with you while you're lying naked beneath me is torture. But...” He kissed her cheek, working his way around to her ear. “About your shop. You'd be able to find all sorts of antiques in England to fill it with."

"Geez! See how you melt my brain? I could be a buyer while Debi runs things while I'm gone!"

She squirmed, this way and that, trying to get out from under him, but he merely pressed her deeper into the mattress with a rumbling laugh.